Four fine frocks

Hi Everyone, its been a gorgeous weekend. Here's a quick run down on what I have been doing:
Yesterday we visited the iconic Dunedin railway station to see the New Zealand on the Move travelling display by NZ Rail (see bottom right).  In the afternoon I made a quick trip to Toffs and then came home and did lots of washing - drying everything in the lovely warm breeze.  In between loads of washing I managed to do some weeding which was very satisfying.  

Okay, lets get to the good stuff: Frock on Friday and Frock on Saturday:

Frock on Friday: polyester dress with grey velour jacket, both from Toffs. Red border print polyester dress $1 from Presbyterian Support Shop with retail jack and shoes.  Cute cream knitted bag from Toffs.

Friday's look was all blue-purple-turquoise.  When I washed this dress yesterday I realised that it has been shortened as it has a huge hem.  Saturday was a casual day and I had bad hair so I put on a hat and dressed around it.  The border print red dress has been taken in - when I got into the cab of a diesel locomotive I felt an ominous pull and felt something ripping.  Sure enough it had been taken in about two inches from hem to arm pit.  Again, when it was washed I realised the extent of the modification.  I think the dress will need to be put on the sewing pile before its worn again.  Don't worry there are no holes because the original seams are okay.  It just looks a bit funny.  

This post is entitled Four Fine Frocks and here are the other two: 

I have two Osti dresses which are the same style and different colours.  They are different sizes too.  I wore them both this week and thought it would be nice to make a collage of both outfits.

Pink Osti Dress $2 from Toffs, with pink cardigan from Savemart.  Tights and shoes retail.  Blue Osti Dress from St Vincent de Paul, turquoise cardigan and cream boots from Hospice Shop.  Cute kitten pendant necklace and purple tights both retail.

My goodness I love polyester frocks - they wear well, they wash well, and they rarely need ironing.  I hang most of mine on hangers once they are line dry and air them in the house.  Okay, the broadband is letting me down again and I am going to post this before the who thing crashes and causes my reconditioned lap top to cr*p out.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

Bye 
Penny-Rose

Outram, Sinclair Wetlands, lambs, Milton and Two Squirrels

Hello, the broadband is actually working this morning and I have been able to upgrade my Adobe Flashplayer AND read blogs AND am about to publish another post.  All in one interrupted internet session.  Its almost too good to be true so lets get started.

On Wednesday 11yo and I hopped in the car with Milton as our destination.  On the way we got off the main highway and did a little detour to Outram.  Having read about Violet's recent trip there I was hoping to visit the collectable shop there.  Alas, it was closed :-(  However, as a consolation, we went to the cafe 8 on 87 (number 8 on Highway 87).  Anyway, its a converted cottage and very cute: 

8 on 87 cafe in Outram - love these copper light fittings, lime green espresso machine with matching feature wall, art on an old saw in the toilets (not for sale)

Despite the fact that Outram is not that far from Dunedin, it somehow took us more than a hour to get there (unanticipated road works).  Replenished with lovely chocolate cake and hot chocolate we pointed the car in the direction of the Sinclair Wetlands.  I have been wanting to see ducklings since last week when 11yo and I saw a family crossing the motorway near the stadium.  

Sinclair Wetlands - we saw lots and lots of cute lambs jumping all over the place but no ducks :-( Penny-Rose is wearing a vintage Bonds dress with thrifted boots and leather jacket.

The wetlands is a scenic drive along gravel roads and bordered by a forest and hills.  There were more lambs than I think I have ever seen, but no ducks.  The only bird life we saw were a couple of pukeko and a hawk.  All the ducks must have been hiding.  Undeterred we pressed on towards Mecca Milton.  

Acting as my scout 11yo shrieked out "there it is" as we drove down the main street.  Yes, she had spotted the gorgeous Two Squirrels sign.  I have to say being able to park in the main street of a town and not worrying about paying for parking is a major bonus.  We parked the car and called in to the Salvation Army store, then the Hospice shop, then an antique store, and then a kind of odd second hand store before entering the Squirrels kingdom.  

Two Squirrels Vintage clothing and Curios, Milton

 I can tell you Vanessa and Warren are artists - they have an eye for detail, design and composition.  The the store is beautifully laid out - it was absolutely gorgeous.  Each display area was exquisite. I took no photos because I was moving from one display to another like a bumble bee in a peony garden.  With so many gorgeous things to look at it was great that I had my 11yo scout with me.  She pointed out various items and assisted me when I tried on a dress and gently tugged my arm when I was visibly drooling over the handbags.  Vanessa and Warren have an enormous glass jar of sherbet fizzy lollies which went down a treat.  Everything from the fabulous mannequins in the window, stunning clothes, hats and bags and the displays of furniture, toys and books, down to the smallest detail of polka dotted bags is evidence of their love for all things vintage. 

Thank you Squirrels, we had a lovely time visiting you, and we will be sure to visit again!

All for now, dear readers, I am planning another mission - Operation Woodhaugh, the quest for ducklings continues.  

Bye, 
Penny-Rose

Houston, we have a major problem.....

Dear Readers and Followers,
I need to confess something.  I have a major space problem.  I have more clothes than my wardrobe can fit and I have been using my 11yo's wardrobe to store bulky furry coats (all three of them) my cloak and my raincoat and three or four summer dresses and skirts which have full skirts and won't fit comfortably in my wardrobe.  Things were going well, and then the other day, I was confronted with this:

Wardrobe rental  information.  Copyright Penny-Rose.

I need your advice: should I pay up or negotiate?  I mean, my teddy bear coat takes up as much space as three or four dresses.  Any advice would be much appreciated*.

But what the frock, its Friday and I have had a great week away from the "W" place.  Here I am enjoying a few rays of sunshine at the end of the day - 

Orange and Purple: recycled sari skirt, retail, boots, top, cardigan all from the Hospice Shop.  Necklaces both thrifted.

Yes, my hair has had a chop (earlier this week) and I played with my electric heated rollers this afternoon (purchased from the Hospice Shop a couple of months ago for about $7).  The recycled sari skirt was a retail buy in Ashburton a couple of years ago.  The top, cardigan and boots all came from the Hospice shop.  Both necklaces were thrifted too.  I really like purple and orange together - there's a kind of harmony in the paisley pattern which I find very appealing.

Right, the internet (broadband!!! - my backside is broader than the broadband we get in my suburb) is really flakey tonight so I will have to post about my trip to Milton tomorrow.  Hope you are all having a very good Friday night!

Bye, 
Penny-Rose

 * For those of you who are wondering what "dun dun dun" means imagine singing it in a serious low voice accompanying a scary part of a movie.  Being a parent is like a scary movie sometimes, but at the moment its more like a comedy :-)

Beautiful Dunedin Scenery with a bit of thrifted fashion thrown in for good measure

Hi Everyone, I am currently enjoying a week with my 11yo (its week two of the school holidays). Dear H did the first week and I am doing the second.  

The weather has been lovely and springlike - on Sunday 11yo and I went out to visit a friend....

view of Deborah Bay over to the Peninsula, unusual patterned Mallard drake duck and expectant does

I am really looking forward to seeing the does have babies - my friend's back garden faces several paddocks of deer. 

Isn't the view from her house amazing?  (photo below) A silly goose is nesting right beside the road - its so narrow its barely wide enough to walk, but she has chosen that as her nesting site.  A road on one side and drop down into the harbour on the other.  Maybe she feels safe from predators like dogs and possums.

Not a great outfit photo but the view is amazing (skirt, top and cardi all thrifted) necklace gift, leggings and shoes both retail.  Road sign warning drivers of the silly goose

Yesterday 11yo and I did a bit of a shop-a-thon in town and took the cat to the vet to get his teeth cleaned (all good did not need anaesthetic which is better for him and for my wallet).  I wore the top that Indigo Violet gave me, as a dress with thick opaque tights which I found in the supermarket no less.  An amazing shade of burnt orange.  There was a lovely sunset last night - shepherds delight and everything. 

Slinky knit top worn as a dress, gift from Indigo Violet, boots and cardigan from hospice shop.  Kick ass kungfu slippers with "ka-pow" graphic too good to say no to, $9.95 retail.

While shopping for a black pair of high top canvas boots, with black soles which look like Converse but are a heck of a lot cheaper I spotted these cute kungfu style slipper/flat shoes with "ka-pow" embroidery.  I just could not say no to them - they matched my tights perfectly.

Today we went to the Botanic gardens on the Quest for Ducklings.  Since I saw a mother duck and her brood crossing the highway near the stadium last week I have been on the lookout for some cute bundles of down so I can take some photos.  Alas, our quest was unsuccessful.  However, we did find the worlds largest cone.  Now from a distance it looked like a beehive, or even a large partially eaten Easter Egg, but as the Botanic Gardens does not have bee hives nor is it Easter, we were compelled to go and check it out:

Giant cone sculpture.  Brown polyester home-made vintage dress, thrifted - worn with orange cardigan for a change!

It is a sculpture which was gifted to the city by immigrants from Lebanon.  It was warm in the sun but cold in the shade if you know what I mean.  I love the shapes of the echium (top left) and the white daffodils (bottom left).  Spring is definitely springing.  There are lambs in the paddock behind my house - too far away to photograph.  

I am going to close off up with a close up - of a beautiful peony in the Botanic Garden:

Beautiful peony.

 So that's what I have been up to for the last few days.  I am so enjoying being away from the W place.  We are planning to go to Milton to see the Two Squirrels later in the week and I have had my arm twisted promised to take 11yo to The Smurfs 2.